


Brother's Curse

by Fox_the_Hermit



Category: Doctor Who, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms, Supernatural
Genre: Angst?, Big Brothers, Brothers, Gen, Off-Screen Resurrection, Sort of Prophecy, The 'presence' is Death, The brother is ambiguous, Weird, warnings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-28
Updated: 2016-03-28
Packaged: 2018-05-29 18:49:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6389011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fox_the_Hermit/pseuds/Fox_the_Hermit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In each world is a pair of brothers. In each world, there is a warning. Each world will still burn. They always do.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Brother's Curse

In the pre-dawn light of a cold, winter morning (or an evening, or a summer day) a body lay cooling on the bloodstained ground (or tiles, or paved streets, or forest ground), a knife through it’s chest (or a blast hole, or a green curse that leaves no mark). A figure knelt by it, head in his hands, shaking and still crying, even though it has been hours since his brother died.

He gets up, eventually, once the sun has risen and then set, and sets off to make a deal to bring his brother back.

A crossroads demon (or a ritual, or a cloak, or a prayer) is his bet, but before he can say the words and summon the abomination (or perform the rite, or say the words, or spill the blood), there is a voice behind him.

“Why?”

He spins around. A very thin human-shaped being with no memorable features other than impossibly bright eyes of some colour (or a hooded winged being when they feel the need to be more impressive or terrifying) stands some ways off behind him. They are leaning on a cane, though they do not appear to be in actual need of it. The brother gulps, feeling that this was not someone to cross.

“Why break the rules?” The new arrival asks, and there is something familiar about it, too. Like an old friend.

“He died too early. (I want him back. I can’t go on without him.)”

The cold wind blows dead leaves around the pair. The moon is almost full and casts strange, huge shadows on the old road.

“Many day too early. Children, even infants. Your brother is neither. Why does he deserve to be brought back?”

“He’s my brother. I love him.” He is defensive of his intentions, he can't help it.

“And why does that make him more deserving?”

The brother does not know how to answer. He doesn’t know why his brother deserves it more. Maybe he doesn’t. And then he knows the answer. “He isn’t. But I’m selfish. I’ll move mountains to get him back.”

“It’s always like that, isn’t it.” The impossible being sighs, and the sound reminds him of wind on an empty planet.

“What is?”

“Two brothers, one dies and the other doesn’t, and there is an endless cycle of one pulling the other back and going down, to be pulled up in turn.”

“I’m sorry?” He didn’t understand.

“Every iteration of the world, different pair of you two, yet you really are the same. Deals, and sacrifices, and blood, as the world burns around you, as you rise like phoenixes from your ashes.”

“The world burns? How?” The brother feels cold at the thought of more people dying, after all that already happened.

“The world burns or freezes, collapses and dies, no matter the warnings, the measures, as you pull each other back again and again.”

“Is that a threat? Are you going to stop me?” Anger is in his voice now, but so is terror.

“It is a warning. I can’t stop you. Yet. I am not here. This is just my shadow.”

“I’m sorry. I must do this.” 

Then the brother turns around, and the memory of the encounter fades. No longer seen, the other presence stares mournfully at yet another pair of brothers that would bring a world to its end.

_You never listen, do you. The cost never matters to you, no matter what it is. You are so beyond moving mountains, really. And I am left to clean it all up. How inconsiderate of you._


End file.
